GREENVILLE — Two Greenville Public Schools students were recently named winners in the middle and high school grades for the Igniting Creative Energy Challenge (ICE) competition.

The Greenville High School competition was won by Cayla Watts for an essay on energy conservation citing ways to promote saving through efficiency improvements at home and in the community.

The Greenville Middle School competition was won by Makayla Kurchak, who created a children’s book describing how to use solar energy to power smart devices, and how to heat a horse’s water trough.

ICE is a national competition designed to inspire kindergarten through 12th grade students to make a difference in energy sustainability, water conservation and environmental stewardship.

Each student was not only presented with an ICE certificate, but given an Apple iPad. They will move on to the national ICE competition where they will compete within their grade for a grand prize of an expense-paid trip for two to Washington D.C.

“The challenge has helped to spark an interested in environmental concerns among these students – many of whom have continued to pursue this interest throughout their educational careers,” said Ron Stimac, public sector account executive, building efficiency for Johnson Controls.

Stimac attended the May 13 Greenville Public Schools Board of Education meeting to present Watts and Kurchak with the award. Also presenting was

Stimac said more than 15,000 students have participated in the ICE program since it began in 2002.

Johnson Controls and the National Energy Foundation developed ICE to encourage students in the U.S. and Canada to demonstrate what an individual, family or community can do to help the environment. Contest submissions may take the form of a science project, video, website, essay, music, photography or other creative endeavor.

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